Woman issues severe warning as 'silly mistake' leaves grandfather 'stranded' on holiday with life-changing injuries
A grandad who suffered a 'freak accident' while on holiday in Europe that left him with severe injuries is unable to return to the UK because of a 'silly mistake' he made while purchasing travel insurance, his friend claims.
Brian Ackroyd has been stuck in a Croatian hospital for the last three weeks in the wake of his 'traumatic' accident during a trip to Dubrovnik while he was on a coastal walk with close pal Deborah Wright, 61.
The 65-year-old had headed to the city for his annual seven-day holiday with his friend when he lost his footing on a pedestrianised walkway famed for its stunning views on 26 October.
Brian - who had been battling prostate cancer since 2023 but is currently in remission - ended up tumbling backwards and horrifically 'got his head stuck in between two big rocks'.
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Describing the 'freak accident', Deborah explained: "He went down the steps and as he came down, we didn't realise it at the time, what looked like a tree root had made the ground uneven."
After 'losing his footing' and falling, Deborah explained her longtime friend 'stopped breathing', adding: "I just screamed for help and luckily there were people doing the same walk as us and they all came running. We had to fight to get him out of the position he was in."
The grandad was rushed to hospital where medics found he had fractured his neck and skull, while he also suffered multiple bleeds on the brain.
Brian, who currently remains on a neurology ward in a hospital in Croatia, is now unable to walk and cannot move his hands due to nerve damage he has suffered.
His friend Deborah says he is 'desperate' to get back to the UK so he can begin intensive treatment, however, she claims insurance firm Admiral won't stump up the costs for a medical flight.
Brian didn't disclose that he had type 2 diabetes or that he'd been referred for a colonoscopy when purchasing his travel insurance, so the company has reportedly refused to cover the £40,000 for an air ambulance.
Deborah said she feels 'let down' by Admiral, who she explained have since offered to cover £5,000 as a goodwill gesture - which they have refused.
The holidaymaker said: "I want Brian home more than anything and it's imperative to his long term prognosis. The problem we've got now is Brian is deteriorating daily, because the hospital can't provide the care he needs now.
"To be told everything was fine and the insurance was covering everything and at the 12th hour to be told it was not honouring the claim because of the mistakes Brian made...even though it's nothing to do with his fall."
Deborah said she is unaware of 'where his head was' when he took out the travel insurance, but believes he simply made a 'silly mistake'.
"He's taken a tablet for diabetes for quite a few years," Deborah continued. "The colonoscopy hasn't even happened.
"But the type 2 diabetes wasn't an issue and Admiral knew about that not being declared but they still carried on saying it was okay. It was when it went to the underwriters and they said 'no'.
"I feel very let down that we haven't even spoken to Admiral. I would have liked them to have offered a percentage of the claim if they couldn't offer it all.
"But to say 'no' when they know how vulnerable and seriously ill Brian is. They know he can only come home via air ambulance because of his injuries.
"It's not like he's just broken his leg or he was full of alcohol. He was a 65-year-old man after three cups of coffee and breakfast just going on a stroll on holiday. He wasn't doing anything foolish and it was just an accident."
She has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of Brian's return to the UK, which has so far raised more than £11,400 - and is urging others to thoroughly fill out their travel insurance.
Deborah added. "I've told Brian how much people are trying for him and that's given him hope because he's just so desperate to be back in the UK. The fact we've had to leave Brian in such a vulnerable position in a foreign country is just horrendous.
"I just want to highlight to other people that think they've got their holiday insurance done, if you're under any investigations or anything, whether you've had it done or not, you must put that down or you won't be covered by your insurance."
Admiral said they are 'really sorry' to hear about Brian's injuries and they had offered an 'ex-gratia payment as a gesture of goodwill', but stressed the importance of 'declaring all medical conditions' when taking out insurance.
Despite being unable to comment on specific cases, a spokesperson for Admiral said: "We're very sorry to hear about Mr Ackroyd's situation.
"We are aware Mr Ackroyd is currently receiving ongoing care and treatment at a public hospital. We are in contact with them and will continue to monitor his situation.
"We never take the decision to refuse a claim lightly, we understand how stressful and costly this can be. We're really sorry to hear about the injuries he has suffered and as a gesture of goodwill, we have made an offer of an ex-gratia payment to assist with costs and his return home."
Admiral said customers are asked to 'declare all medical conditions, including any ongoing treatment or prescriptions, any ongoing investigations into their health or if they're waiting for a diagnosis'.
The spokesperson continued: "If a customer provides this information, we can provide the right level of cover.
"In some cases, we may void a policy from inception based on the condition or treatment that the customer hasn't declared.
"When a claim involves a medical incident, we do check previous medical history to make sure everything was declared correctly.
"Our terms and conditions explain what needs to be declared and why. We prompt customers to remind them what medical conditions, prescriptions, ongoing treatment and investigations they need to tell us about. We also highlight this requirement in policy documents, including the Insurance Product Information Document.
"With all cases, even if a claim is declined, our emergency assistance team will continue to offer ongoing support and medical guidance to help customers through the situation."
Olivia Burke